In recent years, progress has led to a miniaturization in numerous technological fields, for example field-effect transistors and integrated circuits such as microprocessors containing millions of transistors. In metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), the layer of an electrical insulator such as silica (SiO2) used as gate oxide can be as thin as 20 nm.
Not only other electronic devices or components such as capacitors but also passivation and separation applications require even thinner insulating or passivating materials.
For further technical development, there is a demand for ultrathin insulators and processes, which can be efficiently used in industrial processes. However, processes and materials known in the art for introducing or installing an ultrathin insulator are often complex, expensive or do not render possible the necessary precise control of the thickness of the materials. For instance, one attempt on reducing the insulator thickness has been the oxidation of silicon surfaces, but defects such as oxygen vacancies occur, which can cause leakage currents and thus limit the thickness and potential applications of the insulator.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a material and a process that enable the use of an ultrathin insulator, in particular an atomically defined insulator, and satisfy the needs arising from the prior art. Further objects are directed at the provision of an ultrathin insulator, stacks of the ultrathin insulator, applications and uses of the ultrathin insulator or the stack thereof.